Unexpected Happiness
by taggartscout
Summary: Gracie Evans thought she'd hate it in Castle Rock...little did she know that moving to Castle Rock would be the best thing that ever happened to her.
1. The Evans Family

I do not own any of the characters from Stand By Me. I only own the Evans Family. Enjoy  
  
A Preface  
  
David Evans decided to resign as the District Attorney for San Diego and accept a job at an Environmental Law firm just outside of Castle Rock, Oregon. Call it a mid-life crisis, but he felt he wasn't contributing to society and thought that he and his family should move to the small town he grew up in as a child. The problem: his wife and five children happen to love the California life. When he announced his decision, the reaction was arguably more moving than the ending of Romeo and Juliet. Despite strong opposition, David just knew his family would be happy in Oregon and he wouldn't budge on his decision. So, the beautiful home was sold, their belongings were packed, and the Evans family was off to a town the children had never heard of to start a new way of life, as David had put it.  
The Car Ride  
  
The drive up to Oregon was not a happy and carefree one, more of a chaotic, "let's battle it out" kind of trip. David's wife, Caroline, hated the idea of leaving San Diego but trusted her husband and was extremely devoted. A cause and effect reaction of being raised by the perfect mother in the 1940's. So it was David and Caroline against their headstrong daughters, Gracie and Talia and Adrienne. Benjamin and Kylie were too young to have a clue what was going on. To add to the tension, the June heat was becoming unbearable.  
  
"I don't quite understand why everyone thinks Castle Rock is equivalent to Hell" David remarked, starting to finally show annoyance after two months of negative bombardment from his family.  
  
"Darling, we do not think it is going to be Hell, do we Gracie?" Caroline, the eternal mediator asked her steamed daughter.  
  
"On the contrary, mommy dearest," Gracie answered, her tone laced with sarcasm, as she pushed a few strands of her long blonde hair out of her face "life will be hell in Castle Rock. Let me tell you why: I don't know anyone there! All of the best friends I'll ever have are in San Diego. Not to mention the weather, doesn't it rain like 95 percent of the time? Oh, let's not also forget that my life is dancing!! I checked it out and there aren't any studios anywhere in the vicinity of Castle Rock. How am I supposed to practice?!" Gracie's voice started to rise adding to the mounting tension in the car.  
  
"Grace Kathryn, how dare you use that tone with your mother! I don't want to hear another word from you for the rest of the trip! Do you understand?" David sternly remarked.  
  
"Way to change the subject." Gracie muttered under her breath.  
  
"We'll just have to make do, Gracie. Everything will be okay" Her mother offered. Grace just rolled her eyes in frustration.  
  
Talia felt that it was a good time to voice her frustrations as well. "But I like it in San Diego. Jacob Michaels was starting to like me. Now I'll never know if he was going to ask me to the Winter Formal." She whined.  
  
"Sweetheart, I'm sure he would have asked you. And there will probably be a boy in Castle Rock who is just as a nice of a boy as Jacob Michaels" Caroline mentioned, hoping to dispel as much of the hostile atmosphere as she could.  
  
"Talia, you are 12 years old. Gracie, you're 15. You both have plenty of time to make new friends and you'll both be fine and dandy in Castle Rock." David commented.  
  
"But Dad." Gracie tried to comment.  
  
"Now that's the end of it. We're moving there and that's final. I do not want to hear another word about it." David cut her off.  
  
"Dad- you are being so unreasonable, we had a great life in San Diego. What happened?"  
  
"Gracie, listen to your father. No more talk of Castle Rock." Caroline's frustration was apparent.  
  
After some awkward moments of silence, five-year old Adrienne spoke up. "How much longer?"  
  
"About nine more hours" answered David.  
  
" I know- let's play the ABC game!!!" Adrienne suggested excitedly.  
  
"Kill me now, just kill me now." Gracie commented.  
That's what I have so far. This is my first fanfic, so please be kind ( I'll update soon with the Evans family and their first day in Castle Rock. If you have any suggestions, let me know! Have a lovely day. 


	2. The First Day in Castle Rock

The First Day in Castle Rock  
  
Nine long hours passed and the Evans family found themselves on the outskirts of the small town. Driving down Main Street, Gracie was even more discouraged about their move than before.  
  
"Great, four stores and a diner.how entertaining." Gracie commented.  
  
"Look kids, that's the store we are going to run!" David stated eagerly.  
  
"Excuse me?" Caroline asked apprehensively.  
  
"Yes.well, you always told me that you would love to run a coffee shop or something like it.so I decided to buy that small building over there. I thought you and Gracie could make it a fun project or something"  
  
Caroline was a little irritated that her husband would just make another life-altering decision again; but she had always desired to work. Being a stay at home mom for over 15 years was fulfilling, yes, but she always felt that she could be doing more. A coffee shop would be interesting, she thought.  
  
"It will be a lot of hard work, but I think I'm up for it," she replied, "how about you, Gracie?"  
  
"Sure.my life is over anyways" Gracie replied bitterly.  
  
"Oh Grace, lighten up. I don't want to hear anymore of your defeated attitude. Enjoy life!" David exclaimed.  
  
Gracie didn't like the fact that she and her father were at odds. She was usually Daddy's Girl, but making her pick up and leave because of some whim he had was too much for her to bear. Still, Gracie had her mother's optimistic personality and deep down, despite appearances, she knew everything would be okay.  
  
"You know, my sister, your Aunt Margaret, still lives up here. I think she has two daughters. Jacqueline is your age, Grace, and Olivia is around your age, Talia." David tried to offer some hope to his daughters, "You know, you can all be friends"  
  
Gracie had heard of her aunt and her cousins, yet she had never met any of them. Her mother was an only child and "Aunt Margaret" was the only sibling her dad had. It would be fun getting to know the few relatives she had outside her immediate family.  
  
Just then, Gracie glanced out the window. She noticed a group of four boys about her age, it seemed, walking out of an ice cream parlor. She didn't get a very good look at them, but they seemed to be having a lot of fun. Maybe this won't be that bad, she thought to herself.  
  
About ten minutes later, the Evans family was pulled up to their new house. It was beautiful. Her father had designed it for the family. The Victorian-styled house was on a couple of acres and had forest around the edges. On their first tour of the house, Gracie noticed that each of the five children could have their own room. In their old house, her, Talia and Adrienne all shared a room and Benjamin and Kylie shared a room, too. Caroline was definitely impressed with the size of the house.  
  
"Gracie, I want to show you something!" David called out to his daughter.  
  
"What is it?" Gracie came running up to her find him standing by a door that opened up to some stairs she figured led to a basement.  
  
"Go on downstairs and check." David smiled; he loved surprising people.  
  
Reluctantly, she climbed down the stairs. Her dad turned on the lights, and she noticed that the "basement" was a dancing studio with wooden floors and mirrors along the walls. She was ecstatic.  
  
"Oh my gosh- Dad thank you so much!" She gave him a big hug and seemed to brighten up.  
  
"Your welcome, princess. You know, I really just want you to be happy. I hope this cheers you up."  
  
"It does, thanks" Gracie exclaimed as she grinned from ear to ear.  
  
Talia was the first to notice the two horses outside. "Mom, look there's horses outside!!" She yelled excitedly. The whole family went to look. Caroline was very moved, when she was younger, she rode horses all the time on her ranch and occasionally competed.  
  
"David, you remembered." All she could do was smile at her husband.  
  
"Of course I did. How do you like them?"  
  
"They're beautiful"  
  
Just then the doorbell rang. Gracie was the first to get there. She opened the door and saw a woman and two girls. All three were very beautiful. The one her age had long, straight brown hair and blue eyes. She was a little lanky, but seemed bubbly and nice.  
  
"You must be Gracie!" The woman said. "I'm your Aunt Margaret, but feel free to call me Aunt Meg. And these are my two girls, Jackie and Liv. It is so wonderful to finally meet you!" Gracie let them all in and they all exchanged hugs and hellos when the rest of the family came into the room.  
  
"Meg!" David exclaimed  
  
"Hello baby brother!" Aunt Meg smiled, "How ya doin'''?"  
  
"Wonderful, it so good to see you again!"  
  
"Yes it's nice to finally meet you family. Now, I've met Caroline." The sisters-in-law exchanged a hug, "And I know you're Gracie. You must be Talia, Adrienne, Benjamin, and this little cutie must by Kylie."  
  
"You've done your research" Caroline commented.  
  
"Of course, you're the only family we have!" Meg answered. "Well, when are the movers coming?"  
  
"Uh, they should be here in about an hour or two." answered David.  
  
"Hmm.Jackie, why don't you take Gracie out and show her around Castle Rock" Meg suggested.  
  
"Alright, Gracie, you up for it?" Jackie asked.  
  
"Um.yeah.that actually sounds really cool." Gracie replied, "Just give me a sec to go change" She didn't feel like walking around her new hometown in sweats and a tee. Luckily, she brought a couple outfits along in a duffel bag. She changed into a jean mini and a blue tank top. She touched up her hair but wasn't one to wear make up so the process took her about ten minutes. When she walked downstairs she noticed that rest of the family was visiting and catching up.  
  
"Okay, ready now" Gracie exclaimed getting more and more excited about walking around town, "Bye guys!" Gracie and Jackie yelled as they went out the door.  
  
"Hey, wait a minute.what time are you going to be home?" David yelled before the door shut.  
  
"Um, is 10 okay?" Gracie replied.  
  
"Yes- 10 o'clock sharp, don't be late! We have a big day tomorrow." Caroline responded.  
  
"Okay Mom, buy again!" Gracie had to laugh at her mom's occasional spurts of domineering behavior.  
  
Walking along the major streets of Castle Rock (all two of them) Gracie and Jackie talked about any thing and everything. Gracie was especially surprised at how quickly she seemed to bond with Jackie. Jackie seemed to have that spaz element that makes people fun to be around. Boys became a topic of conversation.  
  
"So what are the guys like here?" Gracie asked with a tone of sincerity.  
  
"There okay, I guess," Jackie giggled, "I'm dating one of them."  
  
"What's his name?" Gracie inquired.  
  
"Gordie. He's really awesome. We've been together for almost a year now. Was there anyone special back in San Diego?"  
  
"For a while, his name was Tim. He was kinda immature. Our biggest problem was time. I didn't have enough of it because of dance. We broke up when I moved."  
  
"You don't sound too upset about it"  
  
"Well, he didn't really mean all that much to me. I mean, I'm gonna miss him but I'm capable of moving on." Gracie replied, "So.when am I gonna meet this Gordie?"  
  
"Oh.um.actually he and a few of his friends are at the diner with a few more of my friends."  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for? Come on.I have to meet more people!" Gracie got more and more excited.  
  
"Alright, alright. It's this way." They started walking toward the Diner. "First, I gotta warn you.there's this kid named Teddy. He's really cool, but he can kinda be off the wall sometimes" Jackie warned.  
  
"Sounds like he'll be a lot of fun. Is he cute?"  
  
"Kinda, in his own way. But he has a girlfriend, her name is Sophie. She's one if my best friends- so watch yourself."  
  
"Fine- do you have any guy friends without girlfriends?"  
  
"Um.Vern is one of the other guys and he's in a "relationship" with Gwen. She's a total sweetheart. And then there's Chris. He's available." Jackie commented.  
  
"What's he like?" Gracie asked becoming intrigued.  
  
"Um.well, he's just Chris, you really gotta meet him."  
  
"Looking forward to it."  
  
They were getting closer to the diner when Gracie noticed a group of guys blocking the path. She looked over at Jackie who seemed to be nervous, even a little scared.  
  
"What's wrong Jackie?" Gracie asked, seeming concerned.  
  
"Just act cool. That's Castle Rock's biggest gang- the Cobras."  
  
As they inched closer, one of the guys noticed them. "Hey Jackie- what are you doing tonight? And who's your friend?" He asked in a smooth voice.  
  
"Ace- what I'm doing is none of your concern, and this is my cousin."  
  
"Does she have a name?" He asked a little sarcastically.  
  
"Gracie- that's all the information you're gonna get. Now if you'll kindly step out of our way, we have plans." Jackie said as she tried to get through the crowd of guys.  
  
"Gracie- what a beautiful name" Ace continued to use his smooth voice as he touched her arm. Gracie wasn't at all impressed. She hated it when guys were too forward. Ace was handsome, in his own way, she thought, but definitely not her type. She slowly pulled her arm away as his grip got tighter. Then she noticed that three guys were hassling Jackie.  
  
She looked Ace straight in the eyes. "Let go of my arm" she replied with her most intimidating tone. Ace just smirked. Gracie started to struggle, but couldn't seem to get free. It was pretty much mass confusion and she had lost sight of Jackie, making her freak out even more. Then Ace kissed Gracie, which was more than unwelcome. Gracie kissed him back and found that his grip on her arm loosened. This gave her the perfect opportunity to use her strong dancer legs and knee him in the groin.  
  
This more than surprised Ace as he fell to the ground. Gracie looked around and caught site of Jackie. The guys hassling her seemed to be amazed at what just happened, giving the girls another golden opportunity to run away. They were inside the diner in seconds.  
Hmmm. What will happen next?? You'll just have to review. This chapter is kinda long. I couldn't stop writing..so if you guys want more of the story- review and let me know. Do you all think Gracie and Chris could work out? Again- advice is welcome. Have a lovely day 


	3. Becoming Acquainted

Thanks for the reviews guys. I wrote some more info on the family in this chapter and some descriptions of the new characters. More personality traits will come out as the story moves along. Again- thanks for the reviews  
Becoming Acquainted  
  
As soon as they reached the diner, Jackie was looking around for Gordie and the rest of the group. She noticed them sitting in the corner booth. She hurried over with Gracie right behind her. Gordie was the first to notice them. He got up when he saw Jackie's worried face.  
  
"Jackie- what's wrong?" he asked, very concerned. The rest of the group noticed the two girls. Teddy asked Sophie if she knew who the "blonde chick" was.  
  
"I think she's Jackie's cousin.um I don't remember her name. She just moved here from San Diego." Sophie answered.  
  
Gracie looked around at the group before her. One of the boys had these huge rimmed glasses and a green tee shirt with army tags around his neck. He had his arm around this spunky and petite girl with curly, shoulder-length red hair. The other couple consisted of a slightly "big- boned" boy with a baby-like face. He was sitting next to a girl who seemed very feminine. Her brown hair was curled perfectly and she was wearing a pink summer dress that looked ironed.  
  
Chris couldn't help notice how frightened the girls looked, especially this new girl. He also couldn't help notice how striking she was. She had a perfect body and a tan he wasn't accustomed to seeing on girls. What he really noticed was her eyes. They reminded him of Jackie's, blue and gray and seemingly bottomless. Gracie noticed Chris and smiled. She hoped he wasn't Vern or Teddy and noticed he wasn't sitting with anyone, like the other two boys.  
  
Chris and Gracie were thrown out of their trance while Jackie told the group what happened with the Cobras. "There were three guys and they wouldn't let me go. I didn't even notice who they were, I was so scared." Jackie hurriedly tried to get through the story, but was obviously very shaken up. Gordie put his arm around her and stroked her hair. He was more than furious. The cobras messed with him all the time, and that pissed him off. But now they're starting to mess with his girlfriend too? It was too much for him to take.  
  
Chris sensed how angry Gordie was. He wanted to ease down the situation, so he started asking questions.  
  
"How did you two get away?" He asked, looking at Gracie.  
  
"Um-this guy, I think his name is Ace" She noticed all the guys tense at the mention of the guy's name, "he grabbed me and started to kiss me. So I, um, kicked him in the uh, the groin" Everyone seemed to be impressed.  
  
"Who's this girl again?" Vern asked  
  
"She's my cousin, Gracie" Jackie replied.  
  
"Wow, she's cool" Vern said.  
  
"I just figured, you know, element of surprise." Gracie commented, which received a chuckle from the group.  
  
"So, where are they now?" Chris asked, sticking to business.  
  
"I don't know, we just took off and didn't look back." Gracie answered.  
  
"We should probably get outta here before there's a brawl." Chris offered.  
  
"Yeah, let's go to the tree house" Gwen, the girl sitting next to Vern replied and they all agreed.  
  
Chris cautiously led the group out of the diner. He looked around outside and didn't see anyone. "That's weird," He replied.  
  
"What?" Gracie asked  
  
"They're all gone. They never back down when someone steps up to them. How hard did you kick him?" He asked, slightly amused.  
  
"As hard as I could, I guess" Gracie smiled.  
  
"Maybe he had to be hospitalized" Chris laughed.  
  
They started to make their way down to the tree house. All of the couples were walking in pairs, leaving Chris and Gracie to walk together. Something neither of them minded.  
  
"So, I don't think we've been formally introduced." Chris stated.  
  
"Yeah, things got a little crazy back there. I'm Gracie Evans"  
  
"Chris Chambers" Chris replied as he shook her hand, very soft, he noticed, "So-um, you just moved here?"  
  
"Yeah, from San Diego"  
  
"Wow, San Diego. Why would you possibly want to move here?" He asked, amazed.  
  
"Oh, I didn't. It was my dad's idea. Mid-life crisis, I say." She replied, "It's not as bad as I thought, though."  
  
"Oh really? Well, I'd say you've had an exciting day. You were hassled by the leader of the worst gang in town and kneed him in the "groin" as you put it, no wonder you like it here." She laughed and he couldn't help but fall head over heels for her laugh.  
  
Jackie looked back to check on her cousin. She couldn't help but smile to herself. She knew from the moment she met Gracie that her and Chris would be perfect together. She would soon be able to add them to the list of people she helped to "hook up". She was responsible for Gwen and Vern and Teddy and Sophie. She only wished that matchmakers could get paid for their services. Gordie noticed her excitement. "What makes you so happy all of the sudden?"  
  
"Oh, just look at your best friend, but don't be obvious" She responded.  
  
Gordie looked back slyly. He noticed that Chris was definitely into Gracie. He could tell just by the way Chris was looking at her.  
  
"Finally found someone worthy of our Chambers, eh?" He smiled at Jackie.  
  
"And she's my cousin, how cool is that?!"  
  
"Pretty cool, now he can stop tagging along with us" Gordie teased and kissed Jackie on the forehead.  
  
"So what is this tree house all about?" Gracie asked Chris.  
  
"Just a place the guys an I used to hang out in when we were kids. Now the girls feel like it's their territory, too. It ruins the whole appeal" Chris said jokingly.  
  
"So- it's a retired bachelor pad?" Gracie summed it all up.  
  
"Pretty much, yeah."  
  
"Sounds like fun" Gracie replied. Chris could not for the life of him take his eyes off of her. He had honestly never felt this way about any girl. She just seemed so welcoming and easygoing, someone who wouldn't play games to win him over, like other girls had in the past. In a way, he had always been a little envious of Gordie, Teddy and Vern. Jackie, Sophie and Gwen were all great girls and the couples seemed to mesh so well. He just couldn't seem to find a girl he could confide in and have fun with and be attracted to on the inside and out. Maybe Gracie could be that person.  
  
Gracie, on the same level felt a connection with Chris that was very foreign to her. Sure, she had had boyfriends before, but Chris seemed to have much more maturity than all of them combined. She admired the way he took charge of situations and the way he seemed genuinely concerned about others. She couldn't believe she had met so many awesome people on her first day. It made her ease up on the whole situation.  
  
"What is your family like?" Chris asked.  
  
"Oh- it's huge, I have three younger sisters and 1 younger brother." Gracie laughed.  
  
"There's five of you?!" Chris asked a little surprised.  
  
"Yeah- we were all born to be in the spotlight too. Talia is 12, she's kinda ditzy and can be annoying sometimes- but she's a lot of fun to have around. She has the most beautiful voice in the world; sometimes I think she was born to perform. Adrienne is only 5, but she's a lot like Talia- full of energy, except her forte is the piano. She just loves to be the center of attention. Then there's Benjamin, he is only three, but I can tell he is going to be the golden son. He'll most likely be an all-star athlete. Then there's Kylie- she's only a year old, so we don't know what she'll do yet."  
  
"Probably be the first woman President" Chris joked  
  
"Wouldn't surprise me- anything's possible" Gracie chuckled  
  
"So what's your talent?" Chris inquired  
  
"Dance. I've been studying ballet since I was three. I used to compete up until about a year ago."  
  
"What made you stop?" Chris asked  
  
"Oh- well that life is just really stressful. I still like to practice every day, though." Gracie responded.  
  
"Sounds like it could be competitive living in your house" Chris mentioned.  
  
"For attention- definitely, we're always trying to out due each other. But it's all in good fun, really. There's a lot of love to go around."  
  
Chris began to feel a tad bit envious. He also wondered how he could ever be with someone who had such a perfect life.  
  
"What's your family like?" Gracie asked.  
  
Chris was shaken out of his daze. "My family?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Oh...well, um, long story" Chris smiled to cover up his avoidance. "Look, there's the tree house"  
  
"The infamous Tree House-interesting." Gracie commented.  
  
"Welcome to our humble abode!" Teddy exclaimed.  
  
When they all got inside, they noticed it was rather crowded. Chris sat down in an old chair. Gordie and Jackie shared the hammock. Teddy and Sophie sat on a box and Vern and Gwen took the remaining box. When Gracie got up, Chris noticed she'd have nowhere to sit and offered her "his" chair. She at first refused but when he insisted, took the offer and Chris sat on the floor.  
  
"Okay," Jackie clapped her hands, "formal introductions, finally. Gracie, these are my friends, Sophie and Gwen. I've known these girls since pre-school. Girls, this is my cousin Gracie." Gracie looked at the two girls, the red head she noticed at the diner was now Sophie and Gwen was the feminine-looking girl with brown hair. It all made sense now.  
  
"Nice to meet you" Sophie and Gwen replied.  
  
"This is Teddy, Sophie's boyfriend of five months. And this is Vern, Gwen's boyfriend of six months."  
  
"Hey" They both replied  
  
"Hello" Gracie said as she returned the greeting.  
  
"And this is my boyfriend, Gordie." Jackie replied as she laid her head on his shoulder. Gracie and him exchanged waves, "I believe you and Chris are already acquainted?" Jackie continued.  
  
"Yeah" Chris and Gracie smiled and replied as Jackie winked at Gordie.  
  
"So- what are we gonna do now guys? I'm starting to get bored" Vern complained.  
  
"I know- Truth or Dare!!" Teddy suggested as Vern rolled his eyes.  
  
"I hate that game!"  
  
"Come on Vern, do you have to be a pu....I mean wimp 24 hours a day?" Gordie exclaimed, watching his language as Jackie elbowed him.  
  
"Truth or dare sounds cool." Replied Gracie.  
  
"Alright-it's on!" Teddy yelled as everyone laughed.  
  
What's gonna happen next? You'll have to wait to find out!! Oh- and give me some constructive criticism-I'm always looking to improve. Thanks a bunch and have an amazing day. 


	4. Fun and Games

Fanfiction Chapter 4  
  
Fun and Games  
  
"Alright, who's gonna start?" Jackie asked the group.  
  
"Hell, I will." Teddy jumped up.  
  
"Teddy, watch your language!" Exclaimed Gwen  
  
"Stop being such a goody-two-shoes!" Teddy shouted back. Gwen seemed somewhat hurt at this comment.  
  
"Teddy- who are you going to pick?" Chris spoke up to move things along.  
  
"Um....Gracie. Truth or dare?" Teddy smirked.  
  
"Dare." She replied without hesitation.  
  
"You've just signed a death wish asking Teddy for a dare!" Vern shouted, seeming worried.  
  
"Shut up, Vern!" Teddy replied, "Gracie, I dare you to kiss...Jackie!!"  
  
"Excuse me?!" Gracie yelled  
  
"Finally a lesbian session- and you're related!! Totally hot" Gracie and Jackie looked disgusted.  
  
"You're a sick man, Teddy" Chris remarked  
  
"How twisted can you get?!" Jackie asked in a revolted tone.  
  
Gracie got up and made her way across the tree house to the hammock Jackie and Gordie were sitting in; and, as all eyes were on her in shock, she kissed Jackie on the cheek.  
  
"You never said where or how long the implied kiss had to be" Gracie said as she smirked and everyone else started to crack up at the seriously dismayed Teddy.  
  
"I'm gonna remember this!" Teddy exclaimed as he took a mental note.  
  
"And I'm gonna remember to not ask for any more dares from you again" Gracie smiled. "Alright, who should I pick? Hmmm...Gwen. Truth or Dare?"  
  
"Umm...truth" Gwen replied, looking a little nervous.  
  
"Surprise, surprise" Teddy replied receiving an elbow in the stomach from Sophie "Ouch, hey watch it!"  
  
"Watch what you say about my best friend then" she grinned at Teddy.  
  
"Whatever you say darling" Teddy stated angelically.  
  
"Ah...how cute," Gracie responded, "Gwen..how far have you and Vern gotten?"  
  
"Good question" Chris remarked as Vern and Gwen turned the darkest shade of red any of them had ever seen.  
  
Gwen seemed really nervous, you could tell she didn't really like being the center of attention. "Well, we've kissed.."  
  
"Come on, details, details!" the group chanted.  
  
"What do you mean?" Gwen responded  
  
"Where has Vern kissed you?" Gracie prodded  
  
"Well, in the diner..." Gwen answered as the whole group cracked up at Gwen's innocence and naivety.  
  
"You two are hopeless, six months of dating and all you've done is kissed the girl Vern?!" Teddy exclaimed.  
  
"Shut the hell up Teddy!" Vern yelled back, obviously distraught at the comments. His sternness surprised the whole group.  
  
"It was just a joke...Jesus" Teddy responded  
  
"Hey guys, why don't we do something else" Chris suggested after a few moments of awkward silence.  
  
"What time do you all have to be home?" Gordie asked.  
  
"11:00" replied Sophie. Sophie benefited from very liberal parents who were usually out at late dinner parties or cruises. She was an only child and was very responsible due to this type of upbringing. But tonight her parents were actually home and had set a curfew for the first time in ages. She assumed it was because they found out that her boyfriend was Teddy Duchamp, something they really weren't too happy about but really had no control over.  
  
"It doesn't matter" Teddy responded.  
  
"10:00" answered Gwen. Her mother was very overbearing. Gwen had always been raised to have perfect manners and "Cleanliness is Godliness" had always been her mother's motto in the household. Everyone outside of the family knew that Gwen's father's frequent "business trips" involved much more pleasure than he let on to his wife. Denial was something Gwen's mother was extremely accustomed to, and Gwen never even had an idea that something was wrong.  
  
"10 o'clock sharp" Jackie replied as her and Gracie shared an inside joke.  
  
"Vern?" Gordie asked noticing that Vern was zoning out again.  
  
"Oh- um 10:30" Vern answered.  
  
"That gives us, what...two hours." Gordie thought out loud, not waiting for Chris to answer. Everyone seemed pretty stumped for ideas.  
  
"Hey- isn't there a lake somewhere around here? I remember seeing it on the map when I first looked up the town" Gracie asked  
  
"Yeah- about five minutes walk" Jackie answered.  
  
"Well- let's go swimming!" Gracie suggested.  
  
"Yeah," everyone seemed pretty pumped, except Gwen. "Come on guys, you know how dirty that water is" she whined.  
  
"Come on Gwen- live a little!" Sophie encouraged "It'll be a lot of fun!"  
  
"But what will we swim in?" Gwen asked nervously.  
  
"Our underwear" Gracie said simply as Gwen moaned.  
  
"Fine- I'll go." Gwen said as she gave in.  
  
"Alright- let's go!" Teddy was more and more excited "Our first swim of the summer- with girls!!" Everyone just laughed at his entertaining enthusiasm.  
  
On the walk down to the lake, Chris and Gracie walked together again. Gracie noticed that Chris seemed a little uneasy.  
  
"What's wrong?" She asked, concerned.  
  
"Nothing ," he smiled trying to cover up his emotions, without success.  
  
"Liar," Gracie responded with a grin, "come on, tell me"  
  
"The truth?" Chris glanced at her.  
  
"Yes, the truth would be nice" she joked but maintained her interest.  
  
"Well, its the cobras" Chris exclaimed.  
  
"What do you mean?" Gracie seemed confused  
  
"It makes me a little nervous knowing that they're probably gonna be after you and Jackie when Ace is done recuperating" Chris confided.  
  
"So...you're worried about me?" Gracie grinned and Chris couldn't help but smile back at her.  
  
"Well, not really," Chris teased, glancing at Gracie's hurt expression, "you see, with Ace mad at you, he'll probably send his pack of wolves on Teddy or something and then my group will be rid of our entertainment."  
  
"Shut up," Gracie replied when she figured Chris was just joking, "but, would they really do something to Jackie or me?" Gracie asked, a little concerned.  
  
Chris, noticing her fearful tone, tried to make the situation seem less grave than it really was, "I wouldn't worry about it. Ace will most likely forget about it by tomorrow morning" Chris tried to comfort her but he wasn't a very good liar and Gracie saw right through it.  
  
"Yeah, right" Gracie responded. "Well, I'm not gonna let him dictate my life. If he has a problem with me, he's welcome to come and get his balls kicked again."  
  
"Remind me to never get on your bad side" Chris replied  
  
"Never get on my bad side" Gracie replied with a half smile as the group reached the lake. Everyone seemed quite nervous to shed their clothes so Gordie set some ground rules.  
  
"Okay, how about guys get in first, turn around and then the girls can take of their clothes and get in?" He suggested and everyone seemed to agree. In a few minutes, everyone was in the lake, splashing around and having a good time. Teddy and Vern thought it would be a good idea to play chicken with their girlfriends. After three rounds, surprisingly, Vern and Gwen were the champions, something Teddy wasn't too happy about.  
  
About an hour went by and things were starting to get a little couple- oriented, even Vern and Gwen started to kiss a little! This left Chris and Gracie to entertain each other, again. They decided to ask each other random questions for fun.  
  
"Who's your favorite super hero?" Chris asked.  
  
"Definitely Batman," Gracie responded  
  
"Batman- are you kidding?!" Chris seemed flabbergasted  
  
"What's wrong with Batman?"  
  
"He doesn't have any super powers or anything" Chris answered matter-of- factly  
  
"No, but he's mysterious, dark , enigmatic; therefore making him extremely sexy" Gracie answered, getting closer and closer to Chris.  
  
"Oh, so it's all about the sex" Chris teased.  
  
"Most of the time..next question- my turn. Umm- chocolate or vanilla"  
  
"Definitely vanilla...favorite movie?"  
  
"Gone with the Wind, hands down." Gracie answered  
  
"Can you say boring?" Chris joked as Gracie rolled her eyes.  
  
"Well- what's your favorite movie?" She questioned.  
  
"Dr. No, hands down" Chris answered  
  
"A James Bond film? Can you say boring?" Gracie commented obviously mocking Chris.  
  
"What's wrong with James Bond?" Chris asked defensively  
  
"Well, for starters, he just goes around killing the "bad guy". Nothing is ever that simple, I mean good and evil, right and wrong, its nonsense. Second, he feels like he just can get any woman he wants without even trying and you know he doesn't care at all about her feelings.." Gracie's rampant outburst allowed Chris to be even more attracted to her than before.  
  
"What can I say, I can relate to the guy on many levels" Chris jokingly stated.  
  
"Oh, you can, can you?" Gracie replied as she slyly inched closer and closer. When she was close enough, she used all of her body weight to dunk the unsuspecting Chris. She was successful to say the least. But Chris was never one to back down from any contest and returned the favor joyfully.  
  
This "contest" went on for a good five to ten minutes when both became exhausted and closer in proximity than ever. The convenience of having Gracie's lips so close to his own was too tempting for Chris. He was caught in her eyes as he placed his hand on her cheek and leaned in...  
  
"Hey guys! Chris, Gracie, its time to go!!" Gordie called out to his friends. Chris and Gracie quickly pulled apart, both quite disappointed at the interruption. "It's 9:45- you have to be home in 15 minutes Gracie!!" Gordie yelled out again.  
  
"Okay, coming!!" Chris yelled back. He and Gracie smiled at each other as they began to walk out of the lake. When they reached the shore, everyone else was dressed and ready to go.  
  
"How long have you guys been out of the water?" Gracie asked as she started getting dressed.  
  
"About half an hour" Jackie replied, "Vern, Gwen, Teddy and Sophie already left."  
  
"Why didn't you guys call us earlier?" Chris asked  
  
"Oh- thought we could use the time alone, buddy" Gordie replied grinning. And then more quietly he said "Didn't think you'd mind the time alone either" as he winked and laughed. This received a punch in the arm from Chris and no reply.  
  
"We're heading off now!!" Jackie yelled at the boys.  
  
"Oh- Wait up, we'll walk you home" Chris replied.  
Alright- that's it so far. Gonna leave a nice little cliffhanger for ya. Again- thanks for the reviews, more are always welcome. Hope you're enjoying the story and have a marvelous day!! 


	5. Interrogations

Fanfiction Chapter Five-  
  
I'm happy you guys are liking the story. Um- yeah, I just figured I'd create Gracie's character to not have any huge dramatic issues in her life. I figured Chris has enough for the both of them. So, read on, and as usual, Enjoy  
  
On the way home, Jackie and Gracie decided to have some "girl talk" while the boys lagged behind. Jackie just knew there was something going on between Gracie and Chris and was dying to get all of the details.  
  
"So, what do you think of the group?" Jackie started to make conversation.  
  
"I love them all, really. Gordie seems awesome, you two are soooo cute together." Gracie responded.  
  
"Yeah, I think so," Jackie replied, "What about everyone else?"  
  
"Oh, well Teddy is an absolute crack up. And I just love the way Sophie seems to keep him in check."  
  
"Yeah, he definitely needs a feisty girl to keep his interest." Jackie commented. "What about the others" Jackie tried prodding some comments about Chris out of Gracie, but Gracie was catching on and thought she might play with her cousin's mind a little longer.  
  
"Oh- Vern is like a teddy bear. And Gwen really is a sweetheart. She seems to truly care about people."  
  
"Yeah, her family is kinda screwed up. Sometimes I think her mom pushes her too much to be the "perfect lady". She's an only child, just like Sophie. Except their polar opposites. Sophie's parents let her run wild while Gwen's mom frets over like crazy...So, what do you think about Chris?" Jackie patience was obviously running out.  
  
"Oh, um, he's nice" Gracie said in the most blasé tone she possibly could.  
  
"What do you mean, nice?!" Jackie cried out, "What happened at the lake between you two?"  
  
"Well, we swam and had a dunking contest" Gracie continued with the façade.  
  
"That's it?!" Jackie frustration was very apparent now.  
  
"Well, he almost kissed me, until Gordie interrupted." Gracie said, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"I knew it!!! Wait, you were interrupted by Gordie- I'm gonna kill him! Oh- do you think he'll ask you out?!" Jackie squealed.  
  
"Jackie, calm down. It's my first day here. No need to start planning any weddings" Gracie joked.  
  
"Well, I know that. But if he likes you- that would be so awesome! By the by, do you prefer indoor or outdoor receptions?" Jackie teased and her and Gracie shared a full out giggle-fest.  
  
To the boys:  
  
"What do you think they're laughing about now?" Gordie asked Chris  
  
"I don't have the faintest idea." Chris replied.  
  
"So, my girlfriend, as intelligent as she is, thinks she knows when two people like each other- like a sixth sense or something. I think its crazy. Now, if you'd help me to dispose of her theory, I would be eternally grateful." Gordie was also pressing to find out what was going on between Chris and Gracie in his own "beat around the bush" style.  
  
"What are you talkin' about man?" Chris asked  
  
"Well, she thinks you like Gracie and Gracie likes you. Is it true?" Gordie pressed.  
  
"I don't know, I just met the girl." Chris wasn't exactly the type to tell other people about his relationships or lack thereof.  
  
"But you'll admit there's chemistry.." Gordie asked "Come on, man, for scientific research"  
  
"Just drop it Gordie, I'm not gonna throw any information regarding Gracie and I your way, no matter how you put it." Chris replied smiling.  
  
"So you'll admit there is a 'Gracie and You?'" Gordie replied in a very bad English accent and received a slug in the shoulder from Chris. Gordie then slugged him in the shoulder laughing. This led to a full-on play wrestling session, which gained some attention from the girls who had just reached Gracie's house.  
  
"Boys, stop being so childish" Jackie replied. When they didn't stop, she became a little frustrated. "Gordie, come on!" She yelled a little impatiently. Gordie then came running and Chris started to taunt him by making a whip noise.  
  
"You'll pay for that later, Chambers" Gordie teased as Chris followed him over to the girls.  
  
"So..boys, I think it would be nice if you helped Gracie and her family move in tomorrow." Jackie hinted.  
  
"Yeah, no problem, I'll call Vern and Teddy to see if they want to help out too." Gordie answered  
  
"It'll be a group effort" Chris added  
  
"Thanks guys, it's a real help." Gracie commented. "Today was a lot of fun..thanks for being so welcoming"  
  
"No problem. What do you think guys? Should we keep her?" Jackie asked  
  
"Oh- I don't know. I mean, it's a little too soon to tell" Gordie said sarcastically.  
  
"Well we can test her out a little more tomorrow to see if she's suitable" Chris offered, playing along.  
  
"Thanks for the wonderful opportunity" Gracie responded. "Well, I should be going. See you tomorrow." They all waved as she walked up the driveway.  
  
"Well, I'm gonna head on home...see you tomorrow" Chris stated and reluctantly started walking away.  
  
"See ya Chris" Gordie and Jackie replied  
  
"Is he gonna be okay?" Jackie asked, concerned.  
  
"He always is" Gordie responded. "Come on, we better get you home" 


	6. Moving In

Hey guys, I've been working on this chapter forever. It's a lot about Gracie's family, which is probably a little boring, but I kinda thought it was necessary. Thanks for all the continued support- you guys rock.  
  
Moving In  
  
Gracie walked through the door and found her parents sitting in their living room on the couch, the only piece of furniture in the room.  
  
"Hey sweetheart, is Castle Rock looking any better, yet?" Caroline asked smiling as she moved over a bit to give Gracie some room.  
  
"Definitely," Gracie replied with a smile.  
  
"Meg told me Jackie has a nice group of friends. Did you meet them?" David inquired.  
  
"Yeah- they're awesome," Gracie replied, "How did Talia and Liv get along?"  
  
"Great, so far. Liv didn't seem too put off by Talia's 'its all about me' attitude" David responded.  
  
"Well, that's always a plus." Gracie replied, "I see some of the furniture came. Is my bed here?"  
  
"Yep, it's all made up in your room. I'm afraid your bed is the only thing in your room so far. The trucks with everything else will be here tomorrow morning at 7:00" Caroline answered.  
  
"7:00 A.M.?!" Gracie whined  
  
"Bright and early" Caroline smiled  
  
"That is way too early." Gracie said as she walked up the stairs to here room, "Oh, by the way, the people I met today said that they would help out tomorrow"  
  
"That's great, sounds like that group is made up of some good people" David commented.  
  
"Yeah...goodnight" Gracie replied.  
  
"Goodnight honey"  
  
The Next Morning  
  
"Gracie, wake up!!" Caroline called from downstairs. Gracie woke up and couldn't help display some frustration at the ungodly hour her parents decided to wake her up at. She threw on some old jeans, a white tank top and wore a bandana to keep the hair out of her face.  
  
"Gracie!!!!!" David yelled as he brought a box in and noticed his daughter still was missing in action.  
  
"I'm COMING!!!" Gracie moaned as she walked down the stairs with a huge frown on her face.  
  
"Good morning, sunshine!!" David smiled at his daughter.  
  
"I need coffee, now" Gracie replied.  
  
"Well, you're mother and I haven't had any time to make any, the movers are here." David replied gently pushing Gracie outside. All she could see was absolute chaos. Kylie was sitting on a blanket in the front year balling. Benjamin was getting into anything and everything he could and Adrienne had found a soccer ball and was kicking it around the yard, frequently colliding into random movers. Talia was running around, looking through all the boxes for "her stuff". And Gracie's mother looked like she was going to have a nervous breakdown. Gracie had to laugh at the sight.  
  
"You see why we desperately need your help?" David inquired.  
  
"How could I not? What do you need me to do?" Gracie asked.  
  
"Well, you can try to bring some order to the delinquents....and if you find time, move some boxes in. Think you can handle that?"  
  
"Affirmative." Gracie replied as she headed out to the lawn. Her first course of action was to disarm Adrienne and hide the soccer ball.  
  
"Hey Adrienne- wanna play a game?" Gracie called after her sister who eagerly ran up to her excited to be receiving some attention.  
  
"What kind of game?" Adrienne asked.  
  
"Oh well, its where I tell you to go find something and you bring it back as quick as you can."  
  
"Is there a prize?" Adrienne asked  
  
"Sure....I'll get you a Popsicle- agreed?"  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"Okay, I want you to find me a red rock- okay?" Gracie asked as Adrienne nodded. "Alright, go on- but you can't go anywhere other than the front and back yard" she yelled as Adrienne ran off.  
  
"One down, three to go" Gracie thought to herself as she saw Jackie and Liv walk up. "Jackie, you're here already? It's a little early"  
  
"You're parents told my mom when the movers were coming" Jackie grumbled.  
  
"Ouch- that sucks- well, thanks for coming. Do you know when everyone else will show up?" Gracie asked  
  
"Umm, Chris and Gordie should be coming in about half an hour. Everyone else should be here around nine"  
  
"Awesome- the more, the merrier. Hey- where's your mom?" Gracie inquired.  
  
"Oh, she'll swing around later, she said. Your mom told her that you guys were going to open a café. I think she's out getting some stuff for the shop- I guess she's gonna work there, too."  
  
"That'll be fun"  
  
"Yeah, so...what can I do?"  
  
"Well, right now, I'm just in charge of the little ones." Gracie responded noticing Talia and Liv pulling more stuff out of boxes. She walked over to the two girls. "Hey Talia, I think you're stuff is in that truck. Why don't you take some boxes to your room and start decorating?" Gracie suggested.  
  
"Yeah! Liv, you wanna help?" Talia seemed excited at the idea of decorating her new room.  
  
"Sure" replied Liv as she and Talia started taking some small boxes inside.  
  
Jackie went over and picked up the screaming Kylie and calmed her down a little while Gracie got Benjamin to play the "finding game" with Adrienne.  
  
"You're not too bad at this" Jackie commented as Gracie sat down on the blanket with her and Kylie.  
  
"Thanks, most of these techniques won't work for too much longer. Those rug-rats get smarter and smarter by the day." Gracie joked as she saw Chris and Gordie walk up.  
  
"Well, hello ladies." Gordie greeted them.  
  
"Hey, guys, how's it goin'?" Jackie asked brightly.  
  
"It's early" Chris commented.  
  
"That it is" Gracie replied with a smile.  
  
"So, this must be Kylie" Chris mentioned as he bent down to look at the blonde baby with Gracie's eyes.  
  
"Yup, and the two running over by the bushes are Adrienne and Benjamin." Gracie responded.  
  
"Isn't it a little weird that every single person in your family has blonde hair?" Gordie asked.  
  
"Yeah, I know its crazy. Although I've heard there are these crazy scientists who say it has something to do with genetics," Gracie joked.  
  
"Funny. So what can we do? We live to serve" Gordie and Chris took a bow.  
  
"Well, my dad's over there, I'm sure he'll think of something." Gracie smiled as the boys walked off and her mother came over, looking very stressed.  
  
"Hey mom, how ya doin'?" Gracie asked.  
  
"Oh, better know that the little rascals are a little more under control. Who are those two boys?" She inquired.  
  
"Oh, the guy in the green shirt is my boyfriend, Gordie. The guy in the white is his best friend, Chris. Teddy, Vern, Sophie and Gwen will be coming around later." Jackie answered  
  
"Oh, wonderful." Caroline commented as she noticed Meg coming up the driveway. "Good morning, Meg."  
  
"Hello, I found these amazing table and chair sets at a store downtown, but I though I'd wait to ask your opinion before I bought any. I thought I'd head on over here to see if I could be of any use."  
  
"Well, you can always relieve Jackie and Gracie of their babysitting duties so they can help out with the boxes." Caroline suggested.  
  
"Oh I'd love to. Come here cutie" Meg replied as she picked up Kylie.  
  
"Gracie, why don't you and Jackie get whatever boxes are yours and start taking them up to your room" Caroline offered.  
  
"Alright, mom. Want me to get you anything?"  
  
"Later on, some tea might be nice if you can find teabags." Caroline replied.  
  
"No problem, remember: just relax" Gracie said as she patted her mom on the shoulder.  
  
From then on, the day went by pretty stress free. The rest of the group came by and helped out. All of the boxes were in the house by one o'clock in the afternoon and all the teenagers were up in Gracie's room hanging out while she unpacked some of the boxes.  
  
"Hey Jackie, does the high school have a dance team?" Gracie inquired.  
  
"Yeah- why, you gonna try out?" Jackie replied.  
  
" Thinking about it."  
  
"Why?!" Teddy asked shocked  
  
"I like to dance- is there a problem?"  
  
"The dance team is full of the biggest snobs in Castle Rock. They don't associate with anyone outside of the team." Gwen added.  
  
"You guys don't think I'd actually be like that- do you?" Gracie asked  
  
"No- it's just that we've known really nice girls disown their old group of friends after joining the team" Sophie replied.  
  
"Well, I won't be like that" Gracie emphasized, "Why do you guys think I'm just gonna turn my back on you after you've all been so nice to me?"  
  
"We know you won't" Chris smiled reassuringly, "Why don't we all go down to the candy shop?"  
  
After everyone agreed, the group headed out of the house. As they were walking down the street, Gracie touched Chris' arm and pulled him to the back of the group. "Do they really think I would sell out like that?" Gracie asked concerned.  
  
"Is this about the dance team?" Chris asked and Gracie nodded, "Don't worry about it. The truth of the matter is that Jackie's old best friend, Heather, joined the team and pretty much cut off all communication with all of us. She wouldn't say 'hi' to us in the halls, she stopped calling Jackie. It was just a lot of bullshit." Chris replied, maintaining his reassuring attitude.  
  
"That's horrible. I really would never do that, especially after how nice you've all been to me."  
  
"I know you wouldn't." Chris replied and paused, "Gracie?" Chris asked hesitantly.  
  
"Yeah- what is it?"  
  
"Well, um...I know you just moved here, but I really, I don't know. I feel some sort of connection." Chris shyly replied.  
  
"Me too- I feel so comfortable around you" The two smiled at each other and all Chris could think about was taking Gracie out, just the two of them. He loved the vibe of the group, of course; however he wanted some time alone with Gracie so he could get to know her better.  
  
"I was thinking, maybe next Saturday," Chris was about to continue until he noticed that the whole group was at a halt a few feet in front of him and Gracie.  
  
"Next Saturday....what were you gonna say?" Gracie asked and then followed Chris' gaze to see that Ace and two of his friends were blocking the path of the group. "Not again.." she thought to herself. She noticed Sophie, Jackie and Gwen were stepped to the side of the sidewalk on some grass while Gordie, Teddy, and Vern were forming some kind of blockade facing Ace and his two pals.  
  
"Chris?" Gracie asked nervously.  
  
"Go get the other girls and get outta here, meet us at the tree house" Chris replied, continuing his stare on Ace.  
  
"Chris, I'm not leaving." Gracie replied as she caught his hand.  
  
"Well, look, little Chambers found himself a girlfriend" Ace smirked walking past Teddy, Gordie and Vern.  
  
I'm cutting off the chapter here, it was getting a little long. But don't worry, I'll be posting the rest soon. Feel free to review and thanks for your time. 


	7. Author's Note

Hey Guys! Sorry it's taking me sooo long to update... but you have no idea how busy I've been. I just wanted to let y'all know that I haven't forgotten about the story and will update when I can finally find time. Thanks for all of the continued support!! 


	8. Uncertainty

Chapter 8 - Uncertainty  
  
"Just leave us alone, Ace" Chris stated moving in front of Gracie.  
  
"But that just wouldn't be any fun" Ace answered. "Wait a minute, you're the chick from the other night at the diner" Ace said as he recognized Gracie.  
  
"That's right" Gracie snapped back.  
  
"Do you have any idea who you messed with?" Ace replied in a very intimidating tone moving closer to Chris and Gracie. By now, Jackie, Sophie and Gwen had disappeared into a nearby shop to call the police and Vern, Teddy and Gordie were moving towards Chris. When Gracie didn't answer, Ace shoved Chris out of the way in a quick motion and grabbed her by her shoulders. Billy, Vince and Eyeball were holding Vern, Teddy and Gordie back as Ace punched Gracie across the face and threw her to the ground. By now, Chris was up and he and Ace started to battle it out. It's hard to say who was winning, because after about thirty seconds, Ace and his gang heard sirens and took off. Gracie picked herself off the ground with Chris' help as the rest of the group was reunited.  
  
"Oh my gosh, Gracie, are you okay?" Jackie asked, hurrying to Gracie's side as she noticed the welt on her cheek.  
  
"I'm fine, don't worry about it" Gracie replied with a smile. "Is it really that bad?" she asked, noticing the whole group looking at her face.  
  
"Yeah, it's pretty bad..." Teddy replied, getting glares from everyone. "What, I'm just telling the truth!" He added defensively.  
  
"Sometimes you're so goddamn oblivious" replied Sophie.  
  
"We should get some ice on that," Chris replied as he held her chin, looking at the new bruise. Just then, the police reached the group.  
  
"What's going on- we heard there was some brawl" Deputy Miller asked, not getting out of his car, "Did you trouble-makers instigate it?"  
  
"We didn't do anything, officer. The Cobras were hassling us" Gordie replied.  
  
"Hmm, where are they?" the Deputy asked  
  
"They went off that way" Jackie replied, pointing in the general direction.  
  
"Alright, we'll check it out, you kids get home" he replied as he drove off.  
  
"Where are we gonna go?" Gwen asked  
  
"We can go to my house, my parents are gone, and I think I have some aloe for Gracie" Sophie offered. The group agreed and made their way over to Sophie's house. When they got there, the friends made themselves comfortable in the living room. Most of the girls were shaken, yet Gracie was remarkably calm.  
  
"Gracie, you should tell your parents what happened" Jackie mentioned as Sophie got an ice pack for Gracie to hold to her face.  
  
"No- I don't want to worry them...It's not that big of a deal" Gracie responded.  
  
"Ace mangled your face- it is a big deal. What else are you gonna tell them?" Gwen asked.  
  
"That I fell or something. Look- my parents are very overprotective and they're stressed out enough as it is."  
  
"But how do you know it won't happen again? It could be worse next time." Sophie asked, handing Gracie the ice pack.  
  
"Whatever Gracie decides to do- it's her decision. But they're right you know, Gracie? Your parents could help" Chris replied.  
  
"I just really don't want to talk about this right now" Gracie replied, irritated.  
  
"I gotta get home" Vern replied after an awkward silence.  
  
"Yeah, me too." Gwen responded. "See you guys later. I hope you feel better, Gracie" Gwen replied as she and Vern walked towards the door.  
  
"Bye, guys" Gordie replied. About fifteen minutes went by while Gracie put some aloe on the cut. Then Gordie noticed the time, "I should be going too. What time do you need to get home, Jackie?"  
  
"In about ten minutes. Gracie, do you wanna go home or spend the night at my house?"  
  
"I think I'll go home, thanks anyways."  
  
"Well, we'll walk you home- if you're ready to go" Gordie replied  
  
"Yeah- that'd be great"  
  
"Chris- you coming?" Gordie asked. Chris nodded and they all got up to leave. "What about you Teddy?"  
  
"Oh- I think I'll stay a little while longer" Teddy replied smoothly.  
  
"Whatever, man- see you later" Gordie said as they all walked out the door.  
  
"Are you gonna tell you're parents?" Jackie inquired hesitantly as the group of four walked along.  
  
"Yeah- I think so. I just really don't wanna burden them. And what if they tell me I can't hang out with you guys anymore?"  
  
"Do you really think they'd do that?" Chris asked  
  
"They might- they've been so random lately, nothing would surprise me." Gracie said bitterly as they reached her house. "Well, thanks guys. I'll see you later"  
  
"Hey, call me and tell me what happens later. Hey- why don't we go out to breakfast tomorrow with Gwen and Sophie- no boys included" Jackie offered, trying to cheer Gracie up.  
  
"Hey- what's wrong with us?" Gordie sounded offended.  
  
"Sweetheart, sometimes us girls need time alone" Jackie replied as Gordie rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, we'll do something later in the day" Jackie promised.  
  
"Sounds good. I'll call you later- bye guys" Gracie responded and went inside her house.  
  
Chris watched as she went inside and cursed himself for letting Ace get to her. Gordie and Jackie started to walk away when Gordie noticed Chris lingering, obviously deep in thought.  
  
"Hey man- are you okay?" Gordie questioned.  
  
"Yeah," Chris said slowly.  
  
"What were you thinking about?" Jackie asked as Chris joined them on the walk home.  
  
"Um....just that it would be a drag if she couldn't hang out with us because of what happened tonight with Ace."  
  
"Oh, I see" Gordie responded grinning, "You like hanging out with her...."  
  
"Yeah- she's fun." Chris replied as Gordie and Jackie started to giggle. "Both of you shut up, ok? She's just a friend"  
  
"Sure Chambers" Gordie responded winking, "Whatever you say"  
  
"Look, you two can think whatever you want to think, I don't care." Chris replied somewhat annoyed as he started to walk off in his own direction. "I'll see you two around"  
  
"Good night, Chris. Hey- no hard feelings, right?" Gordie checked.  
  
"Nope"  
  
"Bye, Chris" Jackie waved  
  
" 'Night." Chris replied walking off down his street with the image of one girl in his mind.  
  
So sorry it took so long to update- a combination of writer's block and no time was the reason behind it. Some conflict is starting to brew- what do you guys think? It will eventually escalate. Poor Chris and Gracie. I can't make any promises as to when my next update will be- but I graduate soon, so other than my job- I'll have a lot of free time over the summer. Thanks for the support, guys- love you all and have an amazing day. 


	9. A Rough Morning

Hey guys- I finally updated. I started writing and couldn't really stop. It's three in the morning, so the chapter is probably horrible. I hope you all enjoy it anyways.  
  
Chapter 9  
  
A Rough Morning  
  
Gracie walked into her new house; luckily, everyone was asleep. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief and climbed the stairs to her bedroom. At least the interrogations will have to wait until tomorrow. Her mind was racing a mile a minute.  
  
"Does Chris like me? Why did this have to happen? Will my parents let me see my new friends after they find out what happened? Will school change everything? Do I like Chris?" Only time will tell. She plopped down on her bed and forced herself to sleep.  
  
The Next Morning  
  
Gracie woke up to the sound of a noisy house. It was 8:30. "Way too early to not be sleeping" She thought to herself. Then she smelled her mother's blueberry pancakes- the famous blueberry pancakes. She hopped out of bed and rushed downstairs without thinking twice. Downstairs, she found her father reading the paper while sipping some coffee- today was his first day of work at his new firm. Caroline was trying to feed Kylie while Benjamin and Adrienne were making a mess of themselves. Talia was sitting back watching them all- amused by the chaos. Gracie smiled to herself, grabbed some pancakes and made her way to the table.  
  
David was the first to notice his daughter's swollen cheek. "Gracie, what happened to your cheek?" He asked sounding extremely concerned.  
  
At first, Gracie didn't have a clue what he was talking about. She reached up to touch her face and felt a strong pain. Her mind started racing again. "How could I have forgotten? What do I say to him? Should I lie?" Gracie never was a good liar.  
  
"Well?" David pursued. By now the whole family was watching.  
  
"Um," Gracie hesitated, trying to find words that wouldn't infuriate her parents. "Yesterday, when I was out with my new friends, we ran into, um- this group of people. There was a misunderstanding, and one of the guys..." She didn't know how to proceed.  
  
"One of the guys...what? Did he hit you? Who was it?! What happened?!" David demanded as Gracie shrunk at her father's loud and excited tone.  
  
"It really isn't that big of a deal, dad..." Gracie attempted to smooth over the incident, this wasn't flying with her father. Caroline, sensing her husband's frazzled state, cut in.  
  
"Talia, take Kylie and go upstairs. Benjamin and Adrienne, go to your rooms for a little bit, okay? Thank you." She said as the other Evans children made their way up the stairs. She turned her attention back on Gracie. "Sweetheart, just tell us what happened from the beginning, everything will be alright. Just tell us."  
  
Gracie did something she would come to regret immensely later on. She told her parents the truth. At the time, she figured the truth would be the best way to go. She never would have guessed that her parent's reactions would be the way they were.  
  
David couldn't stay long, he had to be at the firm soon. But before he left- he handed his daughter an ultimatum. She wouldn't be allowed to hang out with any of her "new friends". They just brought too much trouble to her life. Gracie was in tears, Caroline was trying to comfort her as David slammed the door and left his harsh words to ring in Gracie's head. She had to get out of the house- nothing Caroline did made her feel any better about the situation.  
  
"Mom, can I please go to breakfast with Jackie?"  
  
"Gracie, your father....."  
  
"Mom, she's my cousin. Please let me go" Gracie begged.  
  
"Alright" Caroline replied reluctantly. She felt her husband was being a little too overbearing. She knew that they would lose their daughter completely if he didn't ease up a little. "You can spend the day with Jackie, just try not to get into any confrontations. I'll try talking to your father when he gets home tonight"  
  
"Thank you so much, mom" Gracie said as she hugged her mother. She went to call Jackie, turned around and said, "your pancakes were fantastic, mom"  
  
In about an hour, Gracie was ringing the door at Jackie's house. Jackie answered and immediately gave her cousin a hug, Gracie looked so hopeless.  
  
"What happened?" Jackie inquired.  
  
"Um.....my dad said I couldn't hang out with anyone in the group anymore" Gracie said sounding very distraught.  
  
"Oh my god," Jackie replied "I'm so sorry, Gracie"  
  
"It was pretty bad- I've never seen him like that before" Gracie commented as they started making their way to the diner.  
  
"Maybe he's just trying to protect you, the anger might wear off eventually, right?"  
  
"I can only hope so. I've never seen him like that- he's usually so compromising. I don't know if he'll budge."  
  
"But what about breakfast- he's letting you go even though Sophie and Gwen will be there...." Jackie offered.  
  
"Well, not exactly. I asked my mom if I could go to breakfast with you. I didn't tell her about Gwen or Sophie"  
  
"Oh. Well, it just has to get better. We can all still hang out in secret until it does." Jackie said reassuringly as they walked into the diner and met up with Sophie and Gwen.  
  
Breakfast went by pretty uneventfully. The girls talked about their relationships, the upcoming school year and the latest Castle Rock gossip. Gracie couldn't help but feel a little left out and frustrated. She just wished her dad hadn't put such heavy restrictions on her. And she couldn't believe she would by lying to her parents and sneaking around their backs. The idea was so foreign to her.  
  
"So what are we gonna do now?" Sophie asked, totally stuffed from her order of French Toast.  
  
"Let's go hang out with the boys, Gordie said they would be at the Tree House" Jackie offered.  
  
"Yeah, I think we've let them suffer enough. Let's grace them with our presence" Gwen agreed.  
  
The girls made their way to the tree house. When the boys finally let them up and all the couples greeted each other, Chris couldn't help but notice Gracie's distressed face and knew challenges were bound to lie ahead.  
  
Looks like my little story may have some drama in the works. I'll update soon if I get some feedback. Have a lovely day :) 


	10. Decisions, Decisions

Alright, here's a longer chapter for all of you who like the story. Enjoy and review, pretty please :)  
  
Chapter 10- Decisions, Decisions  
  
"Bad news guys, Gracie's parents don't want her hanging out with us anymore." Jackie stated solemnly.  
  
"Why?" Gordie asked, stunned.  
  
"They think that hanging out with you guys has only brought me trouble." Gracie responded, looking at the ground.  
  
"Are they just really angry- do you think it will pass?" Chris inquired, sounding very concerned. He only knew a little about Gracie's family, but from what he did know, Gracie loved them all. Disobeying her parents wouldn't be easy on her.  
  
"I think my mom is being very understanding. I just don't know about my dad- he seemed so angry."  
  
"But it's not even our fault!" Teddy protested.  
  
"I know that, it's my father who is out in left field." Gracie replied. "He's probably just really stressed out from the move and his new job. It's just been really hard reading him lately" Gracie tried to explain, and, in a way, sounded defensive.  
  
"So what are you gonna do?" Sophie inquired, "Are you still gonna hang out with us?"  
  
"Of course I will, I just have to be more discreet and lay low for a while. If my parents find out about me hanging out with you guys and about me lying to them, I wouldn't be surprised if they sent me to a nunnery"  
  
"But then you'd get to wear those weird hats" Teddy replied thoughtfully, lightening the mood a bit.  
  
Back at the Evans Home  
  
David came home from his lunch break and noticed that his eldest daughter had disappeared. "Caroline, where is Gracie?"  
  
"Oh, she and Jackie went out to breakfast, I told Gracie could spend the day with her."  
  
"Caroline, she could be hanging out with those kids again!" David replied, sounding very agitated.  
  
"David, don't you think you're being a little hard on her? We just moved here and, fortunately, she made some friends. She's under enough stress as it is, don't you think you could lighten up?"  
  
"Three days after we move in, she has a black eye. And it was from hanging out with that group. I just don't want her to associate with people who bring her such negative associations"  
  
"But David..." Caroline tried to protest.  
  
"No, just listen. You want to know something interesting? One of the guys she "hangs out" with is Chris Chambers, right?"  
  
"Right, where are you going with this?" Caroline inquired.  
  
"His father has two priors for domestic violence and was charged with a DUI a year ago. His brother, "Eyeball" Chambers has a history with the police as well."  
  
"Where did you get that information?"  
  
"I called an old friend from the DA's office before I left for lunch"  
  
"David, you really shouldn't hold Chris' family's decisions and mistakes against him, it just isn't right. Not to mention the fact that the information you're holding is supposed to be confidential."  
  
"I can't believe you're fine with letting our 15 year old daughter hang around with a guy who has a family full of criminals!" David responded, sounding extremely agitated.  
  
"I trust our daughter to make the right decision. She has an ability to judge character so well. If we tell her she can't be with her friends- what are we saying?"  
  
"That we want the best for her" David responded instantly.  
  
"No, we're saying we don't trust her enough to live her life. We have done a wonderful job of instilling the right values to Gracie. She's 15, and we have to treat her like it."  
  
"I am treating her like she's 15. I'm still her father. I don't mind if she hangs around with Jackie, Sophie or Gwen. Even Gordie and Vern are okay in my book. But as long as I live, I will not have her being friends with Chris Chambers or Teddy Duchamp."  
  
"David....." Caroline tried to get David to not be so narrow-minded and was going to try to warn him about making decisions that were not open to change, but he just wouldn't have it.  
  
"No, that's it, and that's final. I have to go back to work." Before Caroline could say a word, David had left the house.  
  
Back to the Tree House  
  
Vern, Gordie, Chris and Teddy were playing Black Jack while he girls seemed to be dying of boredom.  
  
"Teddy, I swear to God, I don't know how you can spend all your time playing a stupid card game" Sophie exclaimed, sounding agitated.  
  
"That's because girls don't understand the complex nature of Black Jack" Teddy remarked.  
  
" I could beat you all at Black Jack, easy" Gracie replied nonchalantly.  
  
"Oh you can, can you?" Gordie smirked, not fully believing that a girl would know anything about gambling. Teddy's mouth was dropped open, astonished that a girl would state that she's better than four boys at playing Black Jack. Vern didn't really seem to notice and Chris just sat there; he was amused by Gracie's comment and felt even more admiration for her than he had before.  
  
"Yeah, right" Teddy commented.  
  
"Don't believe me? Let me play" Gracie responded.  
  
"Alright. Gordie, deal her in" Chris was always up for a challenge.  
  
Maybe it was luck, maybe the boys just seriously underestimated her, whatever it was, Gracie kicked some serious ass at Blackjack. Continuously.  
  
"I can't believe this, you've gotta be cheating somehow" Vern responded.  
  
"Yeah!" The other boys seemed to like the idea.  
  
"I am not!" Gracie replied with a smile on her face, "Stop trying to justify the fact that I am better than all of you; you guys should really just bow at my feet and save your breath." The boys seemed stumped and didn't really know how to respond.  
  
"Well Gracie, I think you've damaged their egos well enough. Why don't we go get some ice cream now?" Jackie offered.  
  
"Ice cream sounds really good," Teddy agreed. Everyone else seemed to really be liking the idea until Gracie realized that she probably couldn't go into town with them.  
  
"Oh, I can't go with you guys, my dad might see me if he's out on his break." Gracie replied solemnly.  
  
"Oh, well we can do something else," Gwen replied.  
  
"No, you guys go ahead. I don't wanna keep you guys from having fun. I'll just head on home."  
  
"No, we can all do something else" Chris stated, really wanting to keep the group together. Maybe wanting to spend a little more time with Gracie, too.  
  
"Man, I am so hungry, I really want some ice cream," Teddy replied.  
  
"Yeah, me too" Vern added, a little guiltily.  
  
"We can't just abandon Gracie," Jackie replied.  
  
"You guys, really, go ahead. I'll be fine. I will not keep you guys from having a good time." Everyone just sort of stood around, not really knowing what to say. "Really, it's fine, I'll see you guys tomorrow." Gracie said as she left the tree house.  
  
She started walking the path to the street that would lead to her house when she heard someone running up behind her.  
  
"Gracie, wait up" Chris called out. Gracie turned around, happy to see him jogging up to her.  
  
"Hey," Chris said as he reached her.  
  
"Chris, what are you doing- why aren't you going with the group?"  
  
"Thought you could use some company. I told them to go on ahead" Chris replied.  
  
"You didn't have to do that" Gracie responded.  
  
"Yeah, well, ice cream wasn't sounding all that appealing anyways" Chris said as they started walking.  
  
"You're not a very good liar, you know that right?" Gracie smiled.  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about" Chris said as he returned the smile.  
  
A few minutes went by when they both started to say something, accidentally interrupting each other.  
  
"Go ahead" Gracie stated.  
  
"No, you" Chris responded.  
  
"Um...I know that you blame yourself for what happened with Ace. I just wanted to let you know that it wasn't your fault at all. If anything, I was the instigator"  
  
"Why do you think I blame myself?"  
  
"It's written all over you face. Since it happened, you've been distant" Gracie replied.  
  
Chris was amazed that Gracie knew what he thought about the incident. He hadn't told anyone about feeling guilty, not even Gordie. He couldn't believe how well she could read him. It kinda scared him in a way.  
  
"I guess in the back of my mind, I think it was my fault. If you had been walking with any other guy in town, Ace and his gang probably wouldn't have even looked twice. But because it was me, well, that's why you got their attention."  
  
"Why do they hate you so much?" Gracie asked.  
  
"Long story."  
  
"Okay"  
  
"It's not that I don't wanna tell you, I just don't want to talk about it today" Chris assured Gracie.  
  
"I understand." Gracie replied, a little mystified. "What did you want to tell me?"  
  
Chris was nervous beyond all reasoning. "Um...well, last night, before Ace interrupted, I was gonna ask you something." Chris managed to get that part out but was having a little trouble with the rest. The two had reached the lake and sat down on a boulder facing the water.  
  
"Which was?" Gracie prodded, catching his drift and silently doing cartwheels in her stomach. She was so giddy, she had never felt this way about any boy in her life. Her mind was telling her to slow things down, don't commit so soon. Though she didn't really care to listen to logic, she never had before and she wasn't about to start today.  
  
"Um," Chris cleared his throat, "If I were to ask if you wanted to, I don't know, go out and see a movie, or go to the diner sometime, by ourselves, what would you say?" Chris was desperately trying to keep his cool, though all of his efforts were leading to no avail.  
  
"I would say yes" Gracie said simply. Chris seemed visibly relieved and Gracie just smiled at him. "Are you gonna ask me?" Gracie replied sweetly, she loved making things harder on guys.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Um, will you go see a movie Friday night with me?"  
  
"Yes, I'd love to." Gracie beamed as Chris grinned from ear to ear. Chris was even leaning in to kiss Gracie when she was called back down to earth from cloud nine.  
  
"What's wrong?" Chris asked, noticing the difference in her disposition.  
  
"My dad," Gracie replied simply with disdain.  
  
"Oh" Chris said as realization sunk in, "do you not want to go now?"  
  
"No," Gracie replied quickly  
  
"Because I would understand."  
  
"Chris...."  
  
"I really don't want to be the person who comes between you and your family" Chris stated sincerely.  
  
Gracie paused a minute to think. She tried to make a decision that wasn't completely dominated by her high emotions. After a while, she had made a decision about her future with Chris.  
  
Hey guys, I'm gonna end it there. What did you guys think of the chapter? I promise I'll update soon if I get some feedback. Thanks for everything and have a lovely day. 


	11. Unconventional Rejections

Fanfiction Chapter 11  
  
Unconventional Rejections  
  
At the Ice Cream Parlor  
  
The group, minus Chris and Gracie, was sitting around at their usual corner booth enjoying some ice cream and each other's company when the subject of the new couple came up.  
  
"I think they are just darling together" Gwen commented, taking a bite out of the sundae she and Vern were sharing.  
  
"They even look good together!" Sophie exclaimed excitedly, getting caught up in the idea with Jackie and Gwen. Teddy couldn't help but roll his eyes; he could care less about how "good" they looked together.  
  
"I know- isn't it awesome?!" Jackie joined in. "I mean, my cousin and your best friend are a couple!" She said as she squeezed Gordie's hand.  
  
"Jesus, Jackie; first off, we don't know if they're even a couple. Second, doesn't them being a couple mean trouble for Gracie?" Gordie asked.  
  
"How so?" Sophie asked, frustrated.  
  
"Hello, Gracie's dad!" Vern answered.  
  
"Okay, first off, we do know they're a couple. Didn't you see the way Chris ran after Gracie? Second, Gracie's dad will get over it. Things just have to work out between Chris and Gracie" Jackie responded.  
  
"Look, all I'm saying is, don't be so sure you know what's goin' on. You gotta stop pushing people together, just let things happen naturally." Gordie replied.  
  
"Well, I'm a natural-born control freak. I can't help it"  
  
Back to Chris and Gracie  
  
Gracie was still thinking about how to tell Chris what her decision was. Chris was practically dying in anticipation; yet, surprisingly, he was keeping his cool when he noticed Gracie reach for his hand. He looked up to meet her gaze.  
  
"Okay, this is gonna be tough" Gracie replied, looking away. Chris felt his heart drop.  
  
"Well, lay it on me." Chris said, pushing out a smile.  
  
"You know I like you. I like you more than I've ever liked any guy. And I've only known you for, like, a week. And that says a lot. I usually don't allow myself to...form attachments that I can't break off easily, especially to guys." Gracie said hurriedly, not able to keep eye contact, "And there's a lot of reasons for that, that I'm not going to go into right now." Gracie was starting to get noticeably flustered, "I guess the point I'm trying to make is that you mean a lot to me."  
  
"But......." Chris knew what was coming.  
  
"But, I just moved here. And I love my family. While my parental units seem to be malfunctioning right now, they're usually pretty awesome. The timing just seems to be so off right now. I'm sorry. And I'm not gonna ask you to wait around for me, either."  
  
"No need to ask." Chris replied  
  
"What?" Gracie was caught off guard.  
  
"What I mean is, knowing how you feel about me and knowing how strongly I feel about you, well, I'll wait for things to work out." Chris said, looking at her intently.  
  
"I don't really know what to say. That isn't fair to you at all."  
  
"I'll manage" Chris smiled.  
  
"How is it that you don't have a girlfriend?" Gracie smiled back.  
  
"Well, I enjoy bachelorhood." Chris said jokingly as Gracie pushed him, "Hey, ease up. You know, I just don't feel right about entering into such an abusive relationship." Gracie shoved him again, this time both were laughing.  
  
"When do you have to get home?" Chris asked after the rough-house session had ended.  
  
"In a few minutes"  
  
"Well, want me to walk you?"  
  
"No thanks, don't really wanna go"  
  
"Oh, I see, you're becoming a rebel now."  
  
"Well, I've had no choice but to succumb to your bad influence" Gracie joked.  
  
Back to the rest of the group.....  
  
Jackie and Gwen decided to make their way to the coffee shop that Jackie's mom was decorating to see if they could help out while Gordie and Vern decided to go back to the tree house and....surprise...play some blackjack. On the other hand, Teddy and Sophie determined that Sophie's house was the ideal location for their afternoon "make-out" session.  
  
"I just really like Gracie- she is so much better for Chris than Heather ever was...." Sophie mentioned as she and Teddy were walking up the driveway.  
  
"Jesus, Sophie! First off, I think I will gag if hear one more word about Chris and Gracie, 'the perfect soul mates' and second, our group decided a while ago that the H-word was forbidden to even mention" Teddy replied exhaustedly.  
  
"Oh, give up the H-word crap. Her name is Heather. Granted, she is a horrible person for messing with Chris' feelings, but she has a name. And I refuse to act like a lunatic and call her the H-word- its so lame!!!"  
  
"Can we just please stop talking about other's people relationships?!" Teddy exclaimed.  
  
"What, what the hell else are we supposed to talk about?" Sophie asked as they walked through the front door.  
  
"I say we stop talking and..." Teddy was cut off by the image of two very angry parents standing in the Taylor Home's foyer.  
  
"Mom, Dad, what are you doing home?" Sophie asked nervously.  
  
"Get to your room" Edward Taylor sternly said to his daughter.  
  
"But, Dad...." Sophie pleaded.  
  
"Now, Sophia" Edward replied, still glaring at Teddy. Sophie looked defeated as she walked up the stairway to her room.  
  
"Now, you- I want you to stop associating with my daughter"  
  
"The hell I will, you may have a tight hold on her- but you have no control over me" Teddy replied angrily, standing up to Mr. Taylor- something most people wouldn't even dare to think about.  
  
"You can think and fantasize about whatever you want- the fact of the matter is this: She will not be allowed to leave this house unless she is in school, and I will have no problem calling the police if I ever see you on my property."  
  
"Mr. Taylor...." Teddy tried to reason with the man.  
  
"Gladys, call the police- tell them we have an intruder in our house" Edward commanded.  
  
Teddy slowly turned around and left.  
  
Hey guys- I am so sorry it took me so long to update (writers block was a major attribute). However, I never really forgot about the story. I have outlined everything I want to happen, too- so I am on my way now ( Thanks for all the lovely patience- hope you like the story..... 


	12. Rebellious Natures

Hey guys- I haven't updated in, oh, two years. Haha- what can I say, I never forgot about the story- and I play to keep it up now. I hope you all enjoy it.

Rebellious Natures

Gracie looked down at her watch. It was 4:30. She and Chris had been chatting away and she didn't even notice the time. "Dad will be home soon" she thought to herself. Chris noticed.

"Should you be getting home?" he asked.

"Oh, I see, you wanna get rid of me" Gracie smiled solemnly.

"No, I just don't want you getting in trouble on my behalf" he answered sincerely.

"I know- its okay. I just really don't wanna go home……………" she replied.

"Don't you think you're avoiding the inevitable?"

"I know"

"And that it isn't such a good thing"

"Well," Gracie shrugged, "the inevitable sucks"

"That it does………….wanna walk?" Chris asked.

"Yeah" The two got up and started walking aimlessly through the forested area around the lake. Trying to break the tension, Chris took the opportunity to find out more about Gracie.

"So, uh, did you have any boyfriends in San Diego?"

"Tons" Gracie said, fooling Chris. "Well, I don't believe in monogamy, I mean, why have one good thing when you can have 25?"

"You had 25 boyfriends?" Chris asked, dumbfounded.

"More like sexual slaves- I wasn't that committed" Gracie replied nonchalantly.

"You're so lying!"

"I was wondering when you're light bulb would turn on…….." Gracie teased.

"Gee thanks." Chris said, faking disappointment.

"Oh- you know I'm kidding, right?" Gracie asked, concerned.

Chris held out for a few seconds then grinned, "Yeah, I'm just messing with ya" Gracie gave a huge sigh and pushed him lightly. "Seriously, though- I have the right to know about your past social interactions before I allow you to hang out with my group"

"Ha ha, okay, Mr. Pushy, I've had a couple boyfriends. I don't know, it just never seemed to work out"

"Why, if you don't mind me asking" Chris asked, seriously.

"Well, I just can't be with clingy or possessive guys………..I've had some scary situations before, so I definitely don't want to be in that kind of relationship again"

"Scary situations?"

"Yeah, I was dating this guy, Brian for almost a year. It was a crazy relationship. He just never wanted to let me out of his sight. It kept getting worse and worse, so I broke up with him. After I broke it off, he……..well, it got kinda bad and ugly and we had to go through the whole restraining order thing. Then I met Tim. He was a good guy. But I started noticing the same clinginess in him too. It scared me. Then, my dad told me we were moving……….despite being angry, I was a little relieved." Gracie said slowly as Chris listened intently.

" Wow" Chris said, taking it all in.

"Yeah, every girl has to have some baggage, right?" Gracie smiled. "Besides, I really have learned my lesson about guys"

"I hope I won't have to add to that lesson plan"

"Chris, I can tell you're different. I may be blonde, but I've learned how to read people"

"I don't think you're a dumb blonde at all." Chris offered. Gracie smiled at the compliment.

"What about you- besides you're natural affinity for bachelorhood, why are you single?"

"Well………" Chris said, wondering if he should bring her into his world a little more.

"You can tell me as much as you want, you know. You don't have to open up unless you're okay with that"

"You're too cool to be living here……….seriously" Chris said as he stopped walking, looking in her eyes.

"Well, I think that applies to you, too." Gracie said with a caring smile, resulting in Chris feeling completely open to being honest with her.

"I'm single because of a couple of reasons" Gracie just listened. "………….well, one of them has to do with the girls here. Remember that girl I was telling you about, Heather?"

"Yeah- on the dance team, right?"

"Yeah, well, she didn't just betray Jackie. We had this 'thing' going on during the summer. I really liked her, a lot. And I thought she felt the same way. We didn't have any official commitment to each other, but I thought we were exclusive. Then, the school year started, and she just stopped associating with all of us after she joined the dance team…………she ignored everyone, including me. Then she started dating this guy, Jed, from the football team. He's such an asshole. Then, I don't know, the rest of the school year, I just didn't feel like dating." Chris relayed the story, sounding very despondent.

"I'm sorry Chris. She sounds like a real bitch"

"Yeah well. That's not the only reason I'm single. It has to do with something that I'm not used to talking about, even to Gordie………." Chris said, seemingly getting more and more depressed. Gracie held his hand. "It's about my family. It's a bad situation at home. I'm used to it and I can handle it, but everyone in town judges me for it."

"What is it?" Gracie asked.

"Its my dad. And my brother. You've actually met him- he was with Ace."

"Really?" Gracie said, beginning to understand the gravity of the situation.

"I'm not gonna complain about it- I just thought you should know. You won't have the best reputation if you hang out with me." Chris said, not able to look Gracie in the eyes anymore. Gracie tilted his chin up so that his eyes met hers, then she leaned in, and had her first of many amazing kisses with Christopher Chambers.


End file.
